New England’s 2025 season ended in Santa Clara on February 8. The Patriots’ offense was completely undone by the Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1-ranked defense, going scoreless in the first three quarters en route to a 29-13 loss in Super Bowl LX.
They improvedfrom a four-win team in 2024 to a 14–3 record and a Super Bowl appearance in 2025 under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. But quarterbackDrake Maye choked in the final.
He completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but most of this production came in “garbage time”. He was sacked six times and committed three turnovers: two interceptions and one fumble.
With the season done and the roster in flux heading into the 2026 offseason, the Patriots’ planes are back in circulation. And one of them just made a far more consequential trip than any regular-season charter flight.
Patriots team plane helps hundreds safely land in D.C. from Middle East war
A New England Patriots team plane was utilized by the U.S. Department of State as part of its ongoing mission to evacuate American citizens from the Middle East. The mission coincided with the seventh day of a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
New England Patriots team plane arrives Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots team plane arrives Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
A Boeing 767 dubbed “AirKraft” featuring the Patriots logo and images of the franchise’s six Super Bowl trophies—carried hundreds of Americans out of the region and landed safely at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., early Friday morning, March 6, 2026.
Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, confirmed the arrival on X, stating, “Americans boarding one of the many State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S. This plane landed safely this morning in Washington.”
👀 Americans boarding one of the many State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S.
This plane landed safely this morning in Washington. pic.twitter.com/2vYUK0Rmwg
— Dylan Johnson (@ASDylanJohnson) March 6, 2026
Since the team isn’t using them for offseason operations, the Patriots’ planes are managed by Omni Air International, which includes them in its inventory for various government and commercial flights.
In a statement, the Patriots said they support using the planes for humanitarian and national interest missions. The United States Department of State said it fully funded the charter and that the Patriots were not involved in planning or logistics.
However, this isn’t the first time the Kraft family’s planes have been deployed for a cause beyond football. The aircraft previously delivered medical equipment and supplies to Haiti following the 2021 earthquake.
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Since Feb. 28, nearly 24,000 American citizens have returned safely to the United States from the Middle East, according to Mike Johnson. The number does not include Americans who moved to other countries or are still traveling.
The United States Department of State’s 24/7 Task Force has also helped about 13,000 Americans with security advice and emergency travel plans since the crisis began. Patriots’ plane was the second such flight to land at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.